22 pieces of stolen Japanese art were found in a MA house. Now, they've been repatriated.

It was an astounding find.

Going through the personal affect's of their late father, a Massachusetts family found 22 pieces of Japanese art stolen during World War II in March.

Now, with the help of the FBI Boston Division they've been returned to the rightful owner - Japan. Last week, members of the FBI traveled to Japan for a repatriation ceremony for those historic objects.

“We are immensely proud to have been able to recover and return these national treasures to the people of Okinawa, where they will remain an important part of their history and heritage for generations to come,” Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, said this week in a statement. “The FBI would like to thank the Massachusetts family who reached out to us and relinquished these artifacts, the Smithsonian Institute for ensuring they were properly packaged for transport, and our military partners for their help in securing and transporting them back home, making (the) repatriation a reality.”

What are the details of this FBI case?

This case was spawned when a Massachusetts family – who wished to remain anonymous – was going through their late father’s personal effects and came across what appeared to be Asian art, according to the FBI Boston.

"Their father was a World War II veteran, but never served in the Pacific Theater," the FBI noted in a past statement. "In an effort to identify the provenance of the artifacts, they checked the National Stolen Art File and determined that at least four of the items were missing 18th century portraits that had been listed in the database."

What were the historic items at the center of the case?

The items were looted following the Battle of Okinawa, according to the FBI. After almost 80 years, there were returned to the Government of Japan, Okinawa Prefecture.

"The 22 artifacts, some of which date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, represent a significant piece of Okinawan history and include six portraits, (three of which were one piece and appear to have been divided into three pieces), a hand drawn map of Okinawa dating back to the 19th century, and various pieces of pottery and ceramics."

How were these items identified as stolen property?

The FBI said in a statement in March that the art had been on the FBI’s National Stolen Art File (NSAF), a "database of art and cultural property that have been reported stolen to the FBI by law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad."

Did other agencies participate in the investigation?

The National Museum of Asian Art at the Smithsonian Institute assisted the FBI in ensuring that the artifacts were properly packaged for transport back to Japan, according to the FBI Boston.

The FBI noted that other groups that assisted with the case included the U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) 38 G Monuments Men and Women, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the U.S. Air Force.

FBI agent explains importance of the case

FBI Boston Special Agent Geoffrey Kelly - a founding member of the FBI’s art crime team who retired last week after more than 28 years with the FBI - stated, “It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to have been a part of this investigation which resulted in the repatriation of these important cultural artifacts.  A nation's identity is intrinsically tied to their cultural patrimony, and I am very proud to have assisted in their return to the people of Okinawa.”